Verbena plant named ‘Duempflare’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Duempflare’, characterized by its semi-upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and large red-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the foliar plane in mounded umbels.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEMPFLARE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duempflare’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new semi-upright Verbena plants with numerous large and attractive flowers.

The new Verbena plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2008 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number F-01-18-22, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number F-20-18-07, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duempflare’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duempflare’ as a new and distinct Verbena plant:

-   -   1. Semi-upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large red-colored flowers that are held above and beyond the         foliar plane in mounded umbels.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in plant habit as plants of the new Verbena are more upright than plants of the female parent selection. In addition, plants of the new Verbena have larger leaves than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in plant habit as plants of the new Verbena are more upright than plants of the male parent selection. In addition, plants of the new Verbena have darker red-colored flowers than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena hybrida ‘Scarletta’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,797. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Verbena differed from plants of ‘Scarletta’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena were more upright than plants of         ‘Scarletta’.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena had larger flowers than plants of         ‘Scarletta’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Verbena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbena plant. The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duempflare’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 12-cm containers during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices which closely approximate commercial Verbena production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time about three weeks after planting and were ten weeks old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida ‘Duempflare’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number F-01-18-22, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number F-20-18-07, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at about 20°             C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at about             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit.—Semi-upright and mounded plant habit; freely             branching habit with about three to six primary lateral             branches with secondary lateral branches potentially forming             at every node; pinching enhances lateral branch development;             dense and bushy plant habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 16 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 22 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 18 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3 cm.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Color.—Close to 146B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.4 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Lobed.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent, coarse.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; venation,             close to 137A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137C; venation, close to 138B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 144D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in             hemispherical terminal umbels; umbels dense and mounding;             numerous umbels covering the entire plant; flowers face             upward or outwardly; freely flowering habit with about 14 to             24 flowers and flower buds per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             the spring through the fall in Germany; plants begin             flowering about eight weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about one week on             the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Oval to tubular. Color: Close to 46A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Height: About 2.7 cm. Diameter: About             5.5 cm.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused,             five-parted. Diameter: About 2.1 cm. Depth: About 2 cm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals.             Petal lobe length: About 1.1 cm. Petal lobe width: About             9 mm. Petal lobe shape: Obovate. Petal lobe apex:             Emarginate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Close to 46B. When opening, lower surface: Close to             45B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 45B; color             becoming closer to 53A with development. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 50B and 54D.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped calyx with five fused             sepals. Sepal length: About 1.2 cm. Sepal width: About             0.8 mm. Sepal shape: Ligulate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal             margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent, coarse. Sepal color, upper surface: Close to 146B             and 144C. Sepal color, lower surface: Close to 144A to 144C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 0.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement:             About four to five per flower, adnate to corolla tube.             Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 0.7 mm. Anther             color: Close to 7B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:             Close to 2D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil             length: About 1.8 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color:             Close to 144A. Style length: About 1.7 cm. Style color:             Close to 144D. Ovary color: Close to 144B. Fruits and seeds:             Fruit and seed development has not been observed on plants             of the new Verbena. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 40° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Duempflare’ as illustrated and described. 